Parks,Boro Prez Announce Plans For Rockaway Boardwalk

The city's Parks and Recreation Department has joined Queens Borough President Helen Marshall in announcing two new projects for reconstructing Rockaway's boardwalk.

Both projects, one on Beach 24 Street and the other at Beach 104 Street, are scheduled to start this spring.

The Parks Department originally announced these plans last summer, but permission to proceed was not granted by the budget office until December.

"The Comptroller's Office has issued a Certificate to Proceed for Borough President [Helen] Marshall's allocation in fiscal year 2007 for a Beach 24 Street ramp ($400,000) to allow access from the street plaza to the boardwalk, and for a Rockaway Beach 104 Street ramp ($300,000) for the installation of a ramp leading from the boardwalk to the beach area," said Dan Andrews, a spokesperson for Marshall.

Bidding on the projects has begun and, while there is no start or completion dates for the installations, Abigail Lootens of the Parks Department told The Wave that work is expected to begin in the spring.

"The ramp [on Beach 104 Street] will be Americans with Disabilities Act accessible with new railings and stairway repair," continued Andrews.

Rockaway is already home to an ADA accessible ramp, which was installed last summer on Beach 116 Street and has enabled the disabled to leave the boardwalk and venture out to the water's edge.

The new project also includes new fascia boards to be put in along Shore Front Parkway, which were funded with an allocation from Councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr.